It’s interesting that Amaechi has realised he is Igbo—Abaribe

Okey Onyenweaku

The senate minority leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has expressed surprise that the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has now realised he is Igbo and wants to be so identified.

Amaechi who who is known to have previously insisted he was “Ikwere” recently submitted that he is Igbo and that Ikwere people are Igbo people.

Abaribe who represents Abia South Senatorial district expressed this during a Zoom meeting with ABIA MEDIA FORUM, a group of senior journalists from Abia State on Saturday.

Senator Abaribe’s position may not be unconnected with exclusion of the Southeast in the various railway projects being executed by the transport ministry under Amaechi.

The senator whose fame is on the rise for his recent role and push for equity and fairness in governance in Nigeria emphasised that the leadership of President Buhari has been anti-Igbo.

He noted that the present government has continued to implement policies based on the idea of favouring those who gave the president 97 percent votes against those who gave him 5 percent.

Abaribe expressed disappointment that a Minister of Amaechi’s status was in the Federal Executive Committee (FEC) meeting where decision to utilize the foreign loans of $22.7billion obtained from different sources to build infrastructure in every part of Nigeria with the exclusion of the South East was taken.

Details of the loan, revealed that the Southeast zone was excluded from the projects it is intended for. None of the projects captured in the loan for execution when it is eventually received falls within the zone, just as other zones will enjoy a measure of succour from it.

Available details indicate that Southwest will get $200,000,000.00 while south-South, excluding Edo State, will get $4,270,000,000.00. North West will get $6,372,000,000.00, Northeast will get $300,000,000.00 while North Central will get $6,531,000,000 while $5,853,900,000.00 is reserved for general expenses.

Sharing his thoughts on Amaechi’s Igbo claims however, Chief Abia Onyike, Spokesperson for Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), noted that the minister is Igbo and has always been Igbo, even if he didn’t accept being Igbo until now.

Onyike emphasised that the ethnicity is determined by ancestry, and not by choice.

“The issue of ethnic identity is a factor that is determined by one’s ancestry. By ancestry, it is obvious that Ikwere people are Igbo people,” Onyike said.

“But I know that as a result of the war, a number of them started to deny their Igbo ethnicity. And the person who led this campaign was Elechi Amadi who deployed his intellectual power to push the narrative that Ikwere are not Igbo. We know all that.

“Obviously Amechi is Igbo, his name is Igbo, his language is Igbo and his ancestry is Igbo. So, if he has decided to come to terms with the fact that he is Igbo, we should welcome him with open arms. It doesn’t matter what his motivations are, whether it is politics or anything , that’s immaterial.”

However, given the Minister’s previous submissions, some have suggested that his recent affirmation of his Igbo origin may have to do with 2023 presidency.